RunCMC’s revival and Bo Nix’s Mile-High miracle

Sunday’s Best is a weekly column highlighting the NFL’s top five performers. Each week, the players who are spotlighted not only put up big numbers but also set the tone for their teams and shape the storylines of Sunday.

Some Sundays are about survival; others are about making statements.

Week 7 delivered both. Across the league, a handful of stars reminded us that the NFL’s best don’t just perform — they rise when the lights, pressure and stakes burn hottest.

Here are this week’s Sunday’s Best:

Christian McCaffrey, RB, San Francisco 49ers

The nation saw the reemergence of Christian McCaffrey (CMC) on Sunday Night Football.

McCaffrey delivered his best game of the season, totaling 201 yards (129 rushing, 72 receiving) and two touchdowns in the 49ers’ 20–10 win over the Atlanta Falcons.

The highlight of the night from the 2023 AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year came when San Francisco was facing third-and-13 on the Falcons’ 22-yard line while leading 13–10. McCaffrey ran straight at the Atlanta secondary and hauled in a 17-yard catch to move the chains. On the next play, he capped the drive with a four-yard touchdown run.

It marked McCaffrey’s first 100-yard rushing game in the regular season since 2023 and his first 200-plus-yard performance in six years.

According to OptaSTATS, McCaffrey had more rushing yards than all other players from both teams combined, led both teams in receiving yards, and scored more points than the entire opposing team — something no other NFL player in the Super Bowl era has ever accomplished in a single game.

And the milestones didn’t stop there.

McCaffrey also became the first player since Marshall Faulk’s 2000 MVP season to record at least 450 rushing and 450 receiving yards through the first seven games of a season.

Currently, the 49ers sit atop the NFC West and hold the tiebreaker over both the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams. San Francisco will lean heavily on CMC down the stretch, as the team continues to deal with key injuries on offense, including quarterback Brock Purdy and second-year wide receiver Ricky Pearsall. The 49ers are dealing with absences on defense, too: defensive All-Pros Nick Bosa and Fred Warner both sustained season-ending injuries.

Bo Nix, QB, Denver Broncos

Words can’t describe what unfolded in Denver on Sunday’s stunning comeback led by none other than the Broncos’ second-year quarterback.

Entering Week 7, teams trailing by 18 or more points in the final six minutes had lost 1,601 straight games. Bo Nix and the Broncos ended that streak in unforgettable fashion.

Early in the rally, Nix’s pass to Courtland Sutton ricocheted off Giants cornerback Cor’Dale Flott and landed in the hands of Troy Franklin, a play that foreshadowed the chaos that was to come.

New York answered with a miracle of its own, as quarterback Jaxson Dart’s dropped pass turned into a 41-yard touchdown from tight end Theo Johnson.

Nix then responded with an 18-play, 80-yard drive capped by a seven-yard rushing touchdown, then hit Franklin for a two-point conversion to cut the deficit to 26-16.

Moments later, after Dart threw an interception, Nix found running back RJ Harvey for his second touchdown pass of the night, bringing the Giants’ lead to just three.

On the next drive, facing 3rd down, Nix fired a 32-yard back-shoulder strike to Marvin Mims, then hit Evan Engram for 20 yards before running it in himself for an 18-yard score — his second rushing touchdown — putting Denver ahead 30–26.

The Giants briefly reclaimed the lead after a 39-yard penalty set up a one-yard touchdown run, giving them a 32–30 edge with 37 seconds left.

Surely the game was over, right? Not quite: Nix had other plans.

His first throw of the final drive was a 29-yard strike to Mims, moving Denver to the Giants’ 48. Then, with only four yards needed to put the team in field-goal range, Nix decided to go deep and tossed up a 22-yard jump ball to Sutton.

Nix spiked the ball with two seconds left, setting up kicker Wil Lutz for the game-winner. The field goal capped Denver’s 33-point fourth quarter, one of the greatest single-quarter performances in NFL history.

Denver improved to 5–2, its best start since 2016, and Nix proved once again that he’s best when under pressure.

DeVonta Smith, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

DeVonta Smith turned in the best performance of his career on Sunday, hauling in nine receptions for 183 yards and a touchdown in the Eagles’ 28–23 win over the Minnesota Vikings.

It was the most receiving yards by any NFL player in a game this season. Smith’s signature play was on a 79-yard touchdown, torching former Eagle cornerback Isaiah Rodgers on a post route.

They don’t call him the ‘Slim Reaper’ for nothing. When the Eagles needed some breathing room, Smith took the air out of the Minnesota secondary.

Davante Adams, WR, Los Angeles Rams

It was a tough call between Davante Adams and quarterback Matthew Stafford for this week’s spotlight, but the edge goes to the former after stepping up in a big way with wideout Puka Nacua sidelined for the team’s London matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Nacua, who was off to a strong start, missed Sunday’s game due to an ankle injury he suffered in last week’s win over the Baltimore Ravens.

The 32-year-old, three-time All-Pro wide receiver proved he’s still got it, catching three of Stafford’s five touchdown passes — all within just 35 receiving yards.

Among the trio, one stood above the rest: a one-handed grab in the back of the end zone that reminded everyone why Adams’ hands are still among the best in the business.

Adams may not be in his prime anymore, but Sunday was a reminder that his precision, poise and sheer will to dominate never left. He just needed a chance to show it.